My Child Loves Candy! How Much Is Too Much For Their Teeth?
Posted on 4/1/2024 by Weo Admin
Parents often find it difficult to regulate the sugar their child eats. Many pediatric health organizations suggest that the daily diet for children should contain less than five percent of processed foods, including sugar. The sugar intake should be less than 23 grams of sugar each day, which is about five teaspoons worth. If your child consumes 10 pieces of hard candy, that would be their total daily sugar intake. That is not a lot of sugar.
Some Types of Candy Are Better Than Others
Now that you have an idea of how much sugar intake is too much, you need to understand that some types of candy are better for the teeth than others. Many people think that chocolate is the worst type of candy for children to eat. However, sticky candies are more harmful to the teeth than other types of candy because they stick to the teeth. Your child can have difficulty brushing or flossing away this stickiness. The longer that sticky candy is on their teeth, the more likely they could develop a cavity.
Great Substitutions And Solutions
It is perfectly understandable that your child wants to consume candy because it tastes good and is advertised everywhere. When your child wants candy, offer them a piece of fruit instead. That way, they can get the natural sweetness of fruit and all of the great vitamins and minerals.
If you want your child to enjoy a piece of candy or two, there are a couple of things you can do to help their dental health, even if they consume a bit of sugar. First, be sure that they brush their teeth after consuming sugar so that the bacteria attracted to sugar do not have a chance to multiply. Second, be sure that your child understands sugar is an occasional treat rather than a regular treat. If you take these steps, you are helping your child have better dental health.
Not sure how to talk to your child about their dental health? Let us schedule an appointment for you and your child today.
Esthetic Smiles - Dr. John Abajian, DDS, 1901 N. Solar Dr. Suite 135, Oxnard, CA 93036 / 805-365-4222 / myestheticsmile.com / 10/3/2024 / Page Keywords: dentist Oxnard CA /
Parents often find it difficult to regulate the sugar their child eats. Many pediatric health organizations suggest that the daily diet for children should contain less than five percent of processed foods, including sugar. The sugar intake should be less than 23 grams of sugar each day, which is about five teaspoons worth. If your child consumes 10 pieces of hard candy, that would be their total daily sugar intake. That is not a lot of sugar.